any Robert Johnson experts here?

[kapeman]

I was fortunate to see Cassandra Wilson last night- in a special program for the benefit of the cultural life of the Mississippi Delta. ( I'll digress to tell you she says that some folks consider Baton Rouge to New Orleans the Delta, others insist it is Memphis to New Orleans)
She did one song with lyrics I believe, I believe, and something about NYC, which struck me as being reminiscent of Bob Dylans Just Like Tom Thumbs Blues, and Bob has been known to pinch a line or two every now and again.
Even a song or two :-)
Cassandra said it was a Robert Johnson song- anyone know which it was? Thanks.

[stlbarb]

i found this via google, nothin' about NYC in it.

I Believe I'll dust My Broom

©(1978) 1990, 1991 Lehsem II, LLC/Claud L. JohnsonAdministered by Music & Media International, Inc.
I'm gointa get up in the mornin
I believe I'll dust my broom
I'm gointa get up in the mornin
I believe I'll dust my broom
Girlfriend the black man you've been lovin
girlfriend can get my room

I'm gonna write a letter
telephone everytown I know
I'm gonna write a letter
telephone every town I know
If I can't find her in West Helena
she must be in East Monroe I know

I don't want no woman
wants every downtown man she meets
I don't want no woman
wants every downtown man she meets
She's a no good dooney
they shouldn't allow her on the street

I believe, I believe I'll go back home
I believe, I believe I'll go back home
You can mistreat me here babe,
but you can't when I'm back home

And I'm gettin up in the mornin
I believe I'll dust my broom
I'm gettin up in the mornin
I believe I'll dust my broom
Girlfriend the black man you been lovin
girlfriend can get my room

I'm gonna call up Chiney
see is my good girl over there
I'm gonna call up China
see is my good girl over there
I can't find her on Phillipine's island
she must be in Ethiopia somewhere

[stlbarb]

Blue Light 'Til Dawn (1993)
A set of pop tunes sung very slowly, accompanied by various kinds of acoustic guitars. ....and two Robert Johnson blues: "Come On In My Kitchen" and "Hellhound On My Trail." (DBW)
http://www.warr.org/cwilson.html

you can read the lyrics at http://www.lyricsdownload.com/robert-johnson-lyrics.html
or numerous other sites. but i dont think these are it either.

ps - i love Robert Johnson's music.

[sophisticated sissy]

I was fortunate to see Cassandra Wilson last night- in a special program for the benefit of the cultural life of the Mississippi Delta. ( I'll digress to tell you she says that some folks consider Baton Rouge to New Orleans the Delta, others insist it is Memphis to New Orleans)
She did one song with lyrics I believe, I believe, and something about NYC, which struck me as being reminiscent of Bob Dylans Just Like Tom Thumbs Blues, and Bob has been known to pinch a line or two every now and again.
Even a song or two :-)
Cassandra said it was a Robert Johnson song- anyone know which it was? Thanks.



Hi, Kapeman,

While I would not consider myself a Robert Johnson expert, I am an aficianada of his work. Based on what you have described, I would speculate that the song in question is "Dust My Broom." That title is included on the tracklist from her album entitled "Loverly."


It's interesting how we hear influences in a given song that others may not hear. You mention Dylan's "Just Like Tom Thumb Blues", a song I have never connected to "Dust My Broom." I haven't listened to "JLTTB" for a long time, so I'm going to do so and compare it to "DMB". A fun exercise for a very hot & muggy afternoon in the Ohio Valley! :)

I love Cassandra W, BTW and have not seen her perform for several years. Also, in case you were unaware, one of the most famous versions of "Dust My broom" was recorded by Elmore James. :)

[Delta]

Most of the place names he uses are Delta towns ('Chicago' being a huge exception) but he does mention Norfolk in "From Four til Late" so maybe she said "Norfolk" instead of "New York?" Just a guess. StLBarb already suggested "I Believe I'll Dust My Broom" which repeats "I believe, I believe..." throughout the song.

It can be hard to pin down a lot of information from his life and work too. The copyrighted lyrics aren't necessarily (or even probably) originally as written or performed. He was relatively well-known for changing his own lyrics to conform to the type of crowd he was playing to, the town he was playing in, or to appeal to more of a mass audience. After he was signed to record, there were restrictions placed on him by the recording studios about the length of the songs and sometimes the lyrics. He dropped, added or changed lyrics as the mood struck him.

It would be totally in keeping with a nod to RJ's music for Cassandra to have taken one of his songs and changed "Rosedale" or "Gulfport" or any other place name to "New York" to fit her performance.

[kapeman]

Thanks all- it was definitely Dust My Broom. Will be curious if anyone else hears the Dylan song in it. I just listened to the preview clip of it on Amazon- I have ordered it and hope to receive it next week. She did change the lyric for the NY audience. I see she did several songs from it last night- Black Orpheus, Gone with the Wind, and St James Infirmary were the others. Her band was amazing!! I had to miss her at Jazzfest, and was so unhappy about it- that I jumped at this chance to see her- and loved every minute of it.

[Staxsun]

Been busy today, so I'm late coming to this party. It seems you've gotten what you were looking for. The comment I was going to make is that I know enough to know there is no such thing as a Robert Johnson expert. Having talked to Robert Lockwood, Jr. about RJ, it's clear that the few people around that ever saw or met him got only a small slice.